Method of attaching seam stays



Nov. 15, 1938. K. ENGEL.

METHOD OF ATTACHING SEAM STAYS Filed Jan. 14, 1957 Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF ATTACHING SEAM'ST'AYS Karl Engel, Swampscott, Mass,

assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application January 14, 1937, Serial No. 120,600

4 Claims.

- reinforcing seams.

In certain seams commonly provided in shoe uppers the strain which occurs in the wearing of the shoe is much greater at one end of the seam than throughout the remainder of the seam.

This is particularly true, for example, of the back seam which unites the quarters at the rear end of the upper and extends heightwise of the upper from the heel seat to the top edge of the upper. The strain on this seam is much greater at, its

upper extremity than at any other portion of its length and unless it is reinforced that portion of the seam is likely to break or open while the upper in other respects is still in good condition. For reinforcing the back seam at its upper extremity it is customary to employ as seam stays loose pieces which in accordance with the general practice are secured to the top margin of the upper by the seam which unites the upper and the quarter lining.

5 It is an object of the present invention to facilitate the operation of reinforcing seams of shoe uppers with seam stays with a View to shortening the time required for this operation.

With the above object in view the invention in 30 one of its aspects comprises a novel method which consists in providing a series of connected but readily separable seam stays, securing one stay in the series to a shoe in the region of a seam to be reinforced, and thereafter separating said stay 35 from the remaining stays of the series without theaid of cutting means. As herein illustrated a series of said stays is connected end to end and provides a length of reinforcing material which is much more convenient for the operator to han- 40 dle than individual seam stays would be. It will also be understood that a series of stays provides reinforcing material for a number of uppers and consequently the operator is not required to obtain a seam stay from the supply for each upper 45 operated upon and a substantial saving in the time required for the operation is thereby effected.

The various aspects of the invention will appear more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying draw- 50 ing and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 illustrates a series of seam stays one of which is pulled apart to illustrate its construction;

55 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear portion of a shoe upper on the work support of a sewing machine and part of a series of scam stays positioned on the upper for the operation of stitching the end stay in the series to the upper; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 5

illustrating the arrangement of the series of scam stays after the end stay has been secured to the upper.

Referring to Fig. 1, the illustrated series of seam stays comprises a strip 2 of grain leather 10 which is folded along its longitudinal center line, bringing the flesh surface of the opposite side portions of the strip together to form a two-ply strip of leather in which the grain surface is exposed at both sides of the strip. The two plies l5 are secured together by cement which is applied to the strip before the folding operation takes place. After the cement has set there are formed in the strip 2 at regular intervals V-notches 4 which extend from the adjacent edges of the strip 20 toward the fold and terminate approximately nd of an inch from the fold, thus providing a series of stays which are united by breakable, or frangible, connections.

In securing the end stay of the series of stays thus provided to an upper the strip is positioned on the upper with the end stay extending across the seam to be reinforced, for example the back seam 6 of the upper 8 illustrated in Fig. 2. Preferably the center of the stay lengthwise thereof is arranged to coincide with the seam 6. As the operation of stitching the upper edge of the stay to the upper commences the series of stays is held in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 with the-end stay ID in line with the remaining stays of the series but as the point of the stitching operation approaches the end of the stay I0 the remaining stays in the series are swung into the position illustrated in Fig. 3 in order that the stitching operation may continue along the margin of the upper while the stay l0 remains attached to the strip. Subsequently, the endstay I0 is severed from the strip and the lower edge of the stay is stitched to the upper.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That method of making shoes which comprises providing a series of connected but readily separable seam stays, securing one stay in the series to a shoe, and thereafter separating said stay from the remaining stays of the series without the aid of cutting means.

2. That method of making shoes which comprises forming a series of seam stays connected 66 end to end but readily separable from each other, securing a stay at one end of said series to a shoe, and thereafter pulling said stay away from the remaining stays in the series.

3. That method of making shoes which comprises forming a series of seam stays connected end to end but readily separable from each other, positioning said series of stays relatively to a shoe with a stay at one end of said series in position to be secured to the shoe, stitching said stay to the shoe, and thereafter breaking said stay from the stays remaining in said series.

4. That method of making shoes which comprises forming a series of seam stays connected together but readily separable from each other, positioning said series of stays relatively to a shoe upper with a stay at one end of said series in position to be stitched to the upper, stitching said stay to the upper throughout part of the length of the stay, then relatively moving said stay and the other stays in the series to disaline said stay from the other stays and to move the other stays out of alinement with the seam, then completing the stitching operation, and thereafter breaking said end stay from the stays remaining in the series.

KARL ENGEL. 

